Trevor Sorbie's Very Special Makeover

Wednesday, 2 May 2007

TREVOR SORBIE'S VERY SPECIAL MAKE OVER

We are giving Susan Farrell, an inspiring woman who has beaten breast cancer a very special makeover today.

About SusanSusan Farrell contacted us here on The Afternoon Show asking for help. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and was receiving chemotherapy. Due to this she had to lose her hair. Her son is making his Holy Communion on the 12th of May and she didn't want to be without hair for his day, she wants a new image! And that is what we are going to do! Thankfully she finished chemo on the 10th April and the good news is that she will not be getting radiation as the response for the chemo was brilliant.

Many cancer patients lose their hair when undergoing chemotherapy and this can be as traumatic as the diagnosis and treatment itself. To help patients cope with hair loss, Trevor Sorbie has been helping patients with cutting and styling wigs for them at such a difficult time of their life. Losing your hair is the very public face of cancer. It can act as a constant reminder that you have cancer and be very emotionally distressing.

Trevor SorbieTrevor Sorbie is a world renowned hairdresser who has won British Hairdresser of the Year four times. A pioneer of cuts and styling techniques, his frequent television appearances and range of haircare products have made him a household name. His latest project, Wig Head, aims to educate hairdressers on how to cut wigs for clients who have lost their hair through chemotherapy or other illnesses.We also have make up artist, Lisa O'Connor, and fashion Stylist, Bairbre Power, in with us helping out with this lovely make over for our top viewer Susan Farrell!

About Trevor's My New Hair:Hair loss occurs because chemotherapy targets all rapidly dividing cells, healthy cells as well as cancer cells. But as the chemo does its work against cancer cells, it also destroys hair cells. Within a few weeks of starting chemo, you may lose some or all of your hair. If you are having chemotherapy, your hair loss may be gradual or dramatic: clumps in your hairbrush, handfuls in the tub drain or on your pillow. Whichever way it happens, it's startling and depressing, and you'll need a lot of support during this time.Some chemotherapy drugs affect only the hair on your head. Others cause the loss of eyebrows and eyelashes, and hair on your legs, arms, or underarms.

The extent of hair loss depends on which drugs or other treatments are used, and for how long. Battling cancer is hard enough, without having all your self confidence taken away with the loss of your hair. For most women, losing their hair is unbearable and incredibly difficult to deal with.

It was Trevor's personal experience 3 years ago helping his sister in law when she lost her hair that inspired him to help others. He says 'she had a clumpy wig so I cut it. It was her reaction when she saw herself in the mirror that really hit me, she just burst into tears. That's when the penny dropped, that I could really help people that needed me. I knew then it was more than just a hair cut. How can a patient feel positive and strong when their self image has been rocked by baldness? Giving women back their hair, hair that looks natural, attractive and feminine gives them back a little of the confidence to face the world in their darkest hour.'

Trevor's Top Tip99.9% of women looking for a wig after hair loss want the same style as they had before. He says 'the best advice I can give to people looking for a wig is not to go to department stores as they don't have much of an arrangement. The best thing to do is go to an actual wig shop and take a recent colour photo of your hair before treatment into the wig store - that gives the sales assistant exactly what to look for...'

Trevor says 'it's important to me women all over the country can get their wigs cut and feel great about themselves. Cutting a wig is a bit like cutting a hedge or creating a sculpture! It's really important the hairdresser's trained as cutting a wig is nothing like cutting a normal head of hair! In my experience, most wigs have about 40% too much hair in them and I normally concentrate on first removing the bulk and then customising the shape to suit the face. I nearly always use a razor because I feel that sculpting a shape and reducing bulk is much easier using it.'

There are also salons in Ireland which cater wig hair styling

Roches Hair Salon:They are one of the first companies to bring hairpieces into Ireland over 40 years ago and have been supplying wigs for Cancer and Alopecia patients for the past 15 years.Combining the traditional skills of wig making with the latest innovative hair advancements such as Monofilament-top, and Demalite wigs, we carry a huge range of wigs from classic styles to current fashion trends including hi-lights, low-lights and even tri-lights. Because of their hairdressing background they can, when necessary, cut and shape wigs to suit each individual client, thereby personalising your wig.

They also offer a comprehensive after care service which ensures that wigs are kept in excellent condition. If you lose your eyebrows and/or eyelashes, they can also provide alternatives along with information on how to care for your scalp and your new hair when it starts to grow back. They visit hospital as well as got o your home, or you can come to their salon and have the wig made and styled suit for you. They provide a very personal service here in Dublin at Roches hair salon.

Make Up with Lisa O'ConnorWith over a decade's experience with companies such as M.A.C, Clinique & Estee Lauder, Lisa O'Connor now has a successful career as a much in demand freelance Make-Up artist. Specializing in Bridal Makeup, Lisa has worked with many International and Irish Celebrities, creating looks for high profile shows such as 'You're A Star', 'Celebrity You're A Star' and for International Hair Shows with Peter Mark.

While working for many years in the cosmetic retail trade she discovered that most women were buying or being sold unsuitable products for them. With more and more new companies "cropping" up in the Department Stores beauty was becoming more of a chore than a treat. Lisa O'Connor promises to help take out the confusion and bring the fun back into Makeup.